


Good to Meet You Mr. Stark

by Afewproblems



Series: Tumblr Prompts [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Edwin and Ana Jarvis are also amazing, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Maria Stark is amazing, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Power of Words, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, soul mark au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 19:06:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12195858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Afewproblems/pseuds/Afewproblems
Summary: “I got them,” Tony pulls down the thin cotton of his Captain America pajama shirt to reveal the marks, “my words madre!” His smile is wide and infectious but falters slightly as Maria’s grin fades at the sight. Tony lets the shirt collar go; the stretched cotton pulls back slightly but remains warped and crooked against his neck, he resists the urge to tug and smooth at the fabric.“That’s wonderful amore,” Maria says softly, the dim smile blooms once more but doesn’t quite reach her brown eyes, “I’m so happy for you…”Tony receives his words earlier than most.





	Good to Meet You Mr. Stark

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a Stony fic...but not...you'll see what I mean.
> 
> ALSO I am taking a small break from writing fan fiction, this was the last story I wrote for Tumblr and I just wanted to share it with all of you lovelies! I will be coming back to my WIP's soon so please don't worry!!

 

_ Good to meet you Mr. Stark. _

 

The words, written in slightly crooked and faded print, are laid across his collarbone. 

 

They appear when Tony is eleven, about five years earlier than what was considered normal; the sight of the small neat letters are enough to send him bounding down the stairs and crashing into the parlor of the Stark mansion where Maria always chose to finish her correspondence. 

 

“I got them! I got them!” Tony stutters and laughs as his breath sweeps ahead of his words; Maria tilts her head and smiles crookedly at her son as he takes a long steadying breath.

 

“I got them,” Tony pulls down the thin cotton of his Captain America pajama shirt to reveal the marks, “my words madre!” His smile is wide and infectious but falters slightly as Maria’s grin fades at the sight. Tony lets the shirt collar go; the stretched cotton pulls back slightly but remains warped and crooked against his neck, he resists the urge to tug and smooth at the fabric.

 

“That’s wonderful amore,” Maria says softly, the dim smile blooms once more but doesn’t quite reach her brown eyes, “I’m so happy for you…”

 

“Madre...mum, what’s wrong…”  Tony steps further into the room but Maria waves her hand away, the one still clutching her favourite blue pen, a gesture she hasn’t used on him in years. 

 

“Nothing, Anthony, please don’t worry. Your mother is just…” She looks up to meet his worried gaze, “tired...and I have quite a few letters to finish here so why don’t you let Jarvis know?”

 

“What’s this about words?”

 

Tony freezes as Howard sweeps into the room, a newspaper sits casually under the crook of his left arm, and takes a seat in the leather armchair across from his wife and son. 

Maria sets down her pen and pushes away from the small desk piled high with neat stacks of paper and envelopes, she stands and moves towards Tony as though to usher him out of the room,“ It’s nothing dear-”

 

“I got my words today!”

 

Maria winces as Howard’s blue eyes narrow slightly; Tony grins, unburdened by the small exchange, as Howard raises his right hand to beckon his son towards his chair.

 

“Let’s see them then,” Howard says, a rare grin pulls at the corner of his mouth, as Tony pulls down the collar of his shirt once more. 

 

As he scans the words across his son’s collarbone Howard pales before his face breaks into something thunderous; Tony takes a small step back into Maria’s legs, her hands descend onto his shoulders and squeeze lightly.

 

“That’s not possible...do you think this is _ funny _ ?”

 

Tony’s mouth opens slightly as Howard stands, his paper falls to the floor -forgotten, and steps towards him. “I said,” his voice is strained and shaking, “do you think this is funny.”

 

“Howard-”

 

“No, no they’re my words dad, I just-” 

 

Maria’s hands squeeze his shoulders once again as she turns him towards the door of the parlor, “Anthony, go show Jarvis in the kitchen,” she looks down to catch his eye with a small labored smile, “he’ll be so proud bambino.”

 

Tony doesn’t miss the way Howard stiffens slightly but remains silent.

 

Tony looks between his mother and father and swallows around the rather large lump that has gathered in his throat, he nods and slips into the hall. The door swings behind him and bounces against the frame leaving a small opening for raised voices to carry into the not so empty hallway.

 

“You always do this, you know damn well he has no idea why you’re so upset-”

 

“Maria-”

“No. How on earth do you think he would know what Steve Rogers’ handwriting looks like?”

 

Tony’s breath catches slightly, he rubs at the marks on his collarbone lightly to stop the pins and needles feeling that begins to build in his chest. Steve Rogers? As in Captain America?

 

“He might have gone into my office-”

 

“Where everything you have of Steve’s is locked up?”

  
  


The voices cease for a moment; Tony stands abruptly, listening for footsteps, his little heart thrums in terror at the thought of being caught. With one last glance at the door Tony quickly makes his way down the hall to the kitchen where Jarvis and Ana are standing at the stove. He makes his way over to the table and takes a seat closest to the couple.

 

Steve Rogers handwriting.

 

Shouldn’t his father be happy at the prospect of his son being the soulmate of his good friend and the first American superhero? Steve Rogers punched Hitler in the face! He battled bullies and never gave in, Aunty Peggy had said so!

 

Unless…

 

Maybe Howard thought  _ Tony _ wouldn’t be good enough for  _ Steve _ ; the thought settles sharply in his chest and makes his soft brown eyes burn. He blinks rapidly to quell the tears he can feel gathering, Stark men don’t cry dammit.

 

He watches Jarvis bend to kiss Ana on the ear as he steps around her to fetch a glass for Tony’s breakfast, she laughs and swats at her husband’s arm with a broad grin.

 

_ But even if Steve Rogers would have liked someone like you _ , a small inner voice whispers darkly, _ they still haven’t found him _ .

 

Not yet.

 

“Jarvis,” Tony mumbles, so quiet the words almost go unheard; the man in question looks to his young charge, eyebrows raised curiously. 

 

“You and Ana are soulmates right?” 

 

Ana stops stirring what looks to be a mixture of eggs and cheese in a rather large skillet on the stove top and looks from Tony to her husband, her mouth turned up slightly at the corner.

 

“Yes we are Anthony,” she answers warmly, her eyes flick to Jarvis as Tony nods once and continues to stare down the table settings.

 

“So,” Tony mumbles and clears his throat with a cough, “so how did you know it would be alright?”

 

Jarvis walks over to the chair where Tony is sitting and kneels down to his eyelevel; Tony resolutely stares at his hands which restlessly twirl and spin the fork he has clutched in his tiny hands. 

 

“What do you mean Anthony?” he asks softly.

 

Tony bites at his bottom lip for a moment before raising his head to look at Ana and then Jarvis beside him, “How did you know you were right for each other, what if the words aren’t always right?”

 

Ana swiftly shuts off the stop top and moves the skillet to another burner before she heads towards the table and kneels beside her husband; she moves her hand to cover Tony’s own fidgeting ones. She releases them after a moment.

 

“Well,” Ana says slowly, “because we still don’t know where the words come from or why they appear...there is really no reason to believe that they are always accurate…”

 

“But,” Tony’s voice is thick with distress, “you and Jarvis have each other’s words!” 

 

“Yes we do,” Jarvis admits, carding his large hand through Tony’s curly brown hair, “but I don’t think it would matter if we didn’t.”

 

Tony shakes his head, “I don’t understand.”

 

Jarvis slips his hand from Tony’s head and takes the fork from his small hands, “The right person will be right for you no matter what...words or no words.”

Ana smiles sadly as Tony shakes his head once more and looks up beseechingly at Jarvis.

 

“Then what’s the point?” Tony mumbles eventually, eyes shining.

 

Jarvis is silent for a moment, unsure; what could he say to assuage the unspoken fears that plagued the youngest Stark.

 

“...I don’t know,” Jarvis finally whispers, his voice rough as Tony sniffs once and turns back to the table settings. 

 

For once there was no easy answer located in a book based on the expert opinion of some far away author. For once there was no way of truly knowing.

 

  
  


* * *

 

 

 

Back down the hallway Maria steps towards Howard, her left hand comes up to gently brush her husbands face. 

 

Their own words don’t match.

 

Maria’s soulmate had passed away over a decade prior, but she loves Howard regardless -whether he accepts that or not. 

 

He stiffens slightly, his body refusing to relax into her touch, his eyes close as he slowly encircles an arm around her waist. “I am proud of him,” he murmurs lowly, “just for the record.” 

 

Maria nods, her thumb comes to rest against his temple, “Everybody thinks actions speak louder than words,” she says and places a soft kiss against the corner of his mouth before stepping away, “but sometimes their absence can be louder than anything.”

 

Howard nods as Maria takes ahold of the door handle to leave the parlor, her letters forgotten.

 

Howard stands there in the empty room a moment longer, his left hand descends to his hipbone where the words, ‘ _ So this is the infamous Howard I’ve heard so much about _ ,’ are painted in long blue curled cursive. He sighs, the weight in his chest pulls his breath away, and heads for the door; the thought of words, spoken or not, weigh heavy on his mind.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Thirty-one years later Tony stands abruptly as Director Fury steps through the doors of the command center on the second floor of the helicarrier; his heart beats a quick staccato as his eyes finally fall on Captain America, Steve Rogers, his soul mate. He coughs loudly as his lungs suddenly forget how to breathe properly because Steve is  _ here _ ...he’s alive.

 

Fury continues to talk but Tony is only half listening, his eyes connect to Steve’s own bright blue ones for a moment before he looks away; is this what a heart attack feels like? His hand finds the edge of the arc reactor and taps a slow rhythm against the metal; he wills his heart to slow down and follow his shaking fingers.

 

Old doubts spin and pinwheel in his head.  _ What if your words don’t match? What if Howard was right, you aren’t good enough? What if, after all this time, he won’t want you? _

 

He shakes himself slightly as Steve stops, his blue eyes scan Tony quickly -as though taking stock of the specimen in front of him; he resists the urge to squirm.

The Captain extends his large hand, still bedecked in scarlet gloves and bracers; it hangs in front of Tony expectantly. 

 

“Good to meet you Mr. Stark.”

 

“Likewise Captain,” Tony murmurs, his tongue feels far too big in his mouth; the words are rough as they catch in his throat. He grabs the gloved hand and shakes it once before letting Steve go. The Captains face does not change. 

 

Steve nods as he turns once more to Fury. 

 

Neither man see’s the brief resigned and anguished expression on Tony’s face as Fury gestures to another door that Natalie Rushman, or Romanov or whatever the hell she is going by these days, steps out of.

 

Tony swallows and clears his throat as the air in the room grows thick and hot, he nearly chokes on the shallow breath he takes to calm the stuttering rise and fall of his chest.

 

“Sorry, I gotta see a man about a horse, uh bathroom?” Tony turns to the right, towards the door he had entered from, his hands pointed questioningly at the exit. Tony’s eyes burn slightly as Fury nods, a sharp crease gouged between his one good eye and the dark fabric of his eyepatch; Steve steps towards Natasha with his hand raised to shake her own, her green eyes sweep from Steve’s face to his hand -a small sardonic grin catches at the corner of her lips. 

 

Tony turns on his heel and marches towards the hall. A fleeting voice whispers in his mind, small and despairing,  _ fight...fight for him-you’ve waited so long…it doesn’t make any sense... _

 

He looks back to Steve; the Captain stands at parade rest, intently listening to Fury and Natasha brief him on the situation, his gaze never wavers.

 

Tony ignores the sharp arche that anchors itself to his chest 

 

_ What was the point? _

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading lovelies! Please let me know what you think with a comment or kudos! Perhaps I may continue this...it's pretty open ended after all! *Slinks away slyly*
> 
> P.S. I see there are a few people wondering who Howard's soulmate is, it's Maria. There is a very minor reference at the beginning to the blue pen she uses, that happens to be her very favorite, and Howard's words are written in blue ink. It's very minor so I'm hoping this will clear some things up :)


End file.
